“It’s no use, Emma. You can’t move it. And no one’s coming to save you. Reed’s dead.”
No! It couldn’t be. A hot rush of tears stole the breath from Emma’s lungs.
“Once I kill you, I can convince the rest of the police department Joshua was behind it all,” Will continued, almost as if he was speaking to himself. “He’ll shoot himself, of course. Leave a nice suicide note full of apologies. Everything will be fine.”
Emma’s gaze flickered around. There was nowhere to go. No place to hide. Will had her trapped against the cabin. Emma played the only card she had left. She lifted her shirt to reveal the listening device. “Cooper knows everything. You won’t get away with it.”
Will’s eyes widened. He cursed. The hand holding the gun shook. For one moment, she thought he was going to back off. Then something in his eyes snapped. He raised the weapon and trained it on her. “Goodbye, Emma.”
A shot rang out. Emma waited for the pain, but nothing happened. Will’s mouth dropped open. Blood bloomed on his shirt. It spread like a rapidly growing flower. He glanced down at it, incredulous.
Someone stepped from the trees. Emma blinked, her heart not quite believing what her eyes were telling her.
It was Reed. He was limping, his shirt torn and bloody. But he was alive.
Will collapsed. His gun clattered against the rotten boards of the porch. Emma kicked it farther away.
Things happened in a blur. Reed quickly closed the distance between them and slapped handcuffs on Will. Austin appeared. He began rendering first aid. Once it was safe, Emma launched herself into Reed’s arms. She started sobbing. “He told me you were dead.”
“No, Em. Not a chance.” Reed cupped her face in his hands, swiping away her tears with his thumbs. “He took a shot, but he missed.”
She sucked in a gulp. “Reed, I think Lily might be inside the cabin. I can’t lift the bar off the door.”
“I’ll help you.”
As they moved toward the cabin, Will struggled against the handcuffs and cursed. Emma ignored him. She took one side of the wooden bar and Reed took the other. As one, they lifted it.
Emma reached for the door handle, but Reed pulled her back. “Let me go first. Just in case.”
She nodded. He led with his weapon, pulling the door open. She heard his sharp intake of breath. Were they too late? Had Will already hurt Lily? Maybe he’d killed her immediately after the kidnapping because he had no intention of ever giving her back.
She darted around Reed and then drew up short.
The cabin was decorated like a small house. A kitchen with a small sink and a hot plate sat to her left. A sagging twin bed was pushed against the wall. In the center of the room was a large eye hook cemented into the floor. A heavy chain was linked to it. Emma followed the length of the tether across the room to the far side of the bed. A woman was hiding in the corner.
Emma inhaled. “Bonnie?”
“You...you’re real?” Bonnie asked. Her gaze jumped from Emma to Reed and then back again, almost as if she couldn’t trust her own vision.
Beside her, Reed trembled. “Yes, we’re real. I’ve been looking for you, Bonnie. I’ve been searching for a long time.”
Tears streamed down Bonnie’s face. She struggled to her feet. Emma came closer to help her and discovered why Bonnie was having so much trouble. Her heart soared.
Nestled in Bonnie’s arms, sleeping soundly, was Lily.
Emma cried out for joy. She took her little girl and hugged her close, showering kisses on the top of her head. Tears filled her eyes.
“Is this your daughter, Emma?” Bonnie asked.
“Yes, it is. Thank you, Bonnie. Thank you for keeping her safe.”
A flurry of activity followed. Deputies and other law enforcement descended on the cabin. Bonnie was freed from her chains and Reed helped load her into an ambulance.
Emma tightened an emergency blanket around Lily before bending down to pet Sadie. The dog nudged the baby’s leg. “She’s okay, girl. You did a great job.”
Lily appeared completely unharmed. She babbled and giggled, waving her hands.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” A deputy approached her. “The ambulance is ready to take you and your daughter to the hospital now.”
Emma held up a finger. “I need just a moment.”
Reed came toward them. Emma met him halfway. Without a word, Reed hugged them. His touch was gentle, and Emma rested her head on his chest. His heartbeat, strong and sure, thumped a steady rhythm.
Reed pulled back. “Go in the ambulance, Emma. I’ll take care of Sadie. I’ll get to the vet and have her leg checked out.”
“No, I can’t. Not yet.”
Lily reached for Reed and he lifted her into his arms. Seeing the two of them together only cemented Emma’s feelings. The Lord had given her a second chance and she wasn’t going to waste a moment longer on her fears.
Emma took a deep breath. “I love you, Reed.”
He drew in a sharp breath and locked eyes with her. Lily patted his cheek with one plump hand.
“I know it’s bad timing,” she said. “Horrible timing, actually, but you nearly died today and all I could think about when Will had the gun pointed at you was that I loved you.” A fresh wave of tears pricked her eyes. “I didn’t think there was anything worse than losing someone I love, but there is. It’s not sharing the love in the first place. It’s not telling the truth about how I feel. So I’m saying it now. Before something else happens and I don’t get another chance—”
Reed lifted his hand, cupping her face. “I love you, too, Emma.”
Her heart stuttered. “You do?”
“Completely and utterly in love. With you and Lily.” He glanced at the little girl in his arms before focusing back on Emma. “When you told me you were leaving town, I was devastated. But I didn’t want to tell you because Lily’s safety, along with yours, had to come first. And
